ASHLAND — In Jenny Hamilton’s kindergarten classroom at St. Edward School, students have been extra excited during the first week back from winter break.
That’s because Hamilton’s classroom — along with 10 others at the school — had new SmartBoards installed right before the holidays.
The classrooms were equipped with SmartBoards before. But, according to St. Edward principal Suellen Valentine, the equipment was nearly 20 years old. The technology was no longer working the way it was intended.
So, she set out to raise the money for the updates on Giving Tuesday. The school participates in Giving Tuesday each year through the Catholic Community Foundation in Cleveland.
This year, 81 donors — parishioners, families and alumni alike — raised over $34,000 to pay for the technology update.
For Hamilton, the updated SmartBoard has allowed for a more hands-on learning environment for her students. They work on the SmartBoard regularly, drawing clocks and learning to count coins.
“They love it because they already know tablets,” Hamilton said. “And that’s what the new SmartBoard is, is basically a large tablet.”
Hamilton’s fellow teachers share her sentiments. St. Edward staff said since the new technology was installed, it’s allowed for more engagement in their classrooms.
Improving interaction
Kevin Valentine, the school’s sixth and seventh grade teacher, said he’s used his new SmartBoard to look over weekly news feeds with his class.
“It’s not something ancient,” Valentine said. “It’s normal to students, and they pay more attention.”
Teachers said the new SmartBoards have better image quality than the previous ones. They also allow for multiple students at once to use the SmartBoard.
For the teachers, the updated versions of the technology also have useful features.
In some classrooms, locations of the SmartBoards changed with the new installation. So, those teachers have more mobility in their classrooms.
Kathy Blackford, one of the school’s teachers, said the technology also gives her the ability to save notes in case students were absent.
Nella Blackford, who teaches religion and second grade at St. Edward, moves between multiple classrooms during her school day. The new SmartBoards come with cards teachers can scan and then plug into a SmartBoard in a different classroom.
That feature means she can automatically bring content from her computer to another classroom, without the challenge of additional setup time.
Supported staff
Beyond providing them with a better classroom tool, staff at St. Edward School said the installation of the new SmartBoards made them feel supported.
Kristen Strong, the school’s fourth grade teacher, said there can be a common misconception that because St. Edward School is private, it’s well-endowed.
But that isn’t necessarily the case. She said even in the private sector, expensive technology updates can be a struggle to achieve — without the community’s generosity.
As a St. Edward school alum, Nella Blackford recalls the original SmartBoards’ installation from when she was an eighth grader.
“I’m glad we can stay with the times,” Nella Blackford said. “I’m grateful to everybody who helped to contribute.”
Nella Blackford added it was especially meaningful to know the St. Edward community saw the need for updated technology and came together to make it a reality.
